Posted on 06/06/2013 8:55:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Senators on both sides of the political aisle moved to defend the National Security Agency's collection of data from millions of Americans' phone records, saying it has been an ongoing practice that has kept the United States safe.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) told reporters on Thursday that The Guardian's revelation of the court order that compels Verizon to give data on millions of Americans' calls is a standard three-month renewal of a practice that has been ongoing for about seven years. Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence committee, also defended the practice.
"It's called protecting America," she said, according to reporter Jamie Dupree. Both she and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said the practice was legal under the Patriot Act.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Verizon customer, said he's "glad" the NSA has been using phone data to try to "find out what the terrorists are up to overseas and in our country."
"I don't mind Verizon turning over records to the government if the government is going to make sure that they try to match up a known terrorist phone with somebody in the United States," Graham said on "Fox & Friends."
Some Senators who have been critical of both the Bush and Obama administrations on civil liberties did express concerns about the practice.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), for instance, tweeted a few references to George Orwell's dystopian novel "1984." And Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said in a statement that the White House "needs to be straight w/ American people about the breadth of its authority."
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Blame Bush (that didn’t take long....)
I don’t care how long its been going on. I want it stopped now.
So when they listen in on a private conversation about a stock or acquisition and buy some stock for themselves isn’t that illegal?
Yeah: it’s rhetorical. We know why not.
Doesn't sound nefarious at all.......
With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?
Meanwhile politicians have “secret” email accounts to keep We The People from knowing what they’re doing???
Everybody knew about it seven years ago:
http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm
...Updated 5/11/2006 10:38 AM ET
By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY...
...The three telecommunications companies are working under contract with the NSA, which launched the program in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the sources said. The program is aimed at identifying and tracking suspected terrorists, they said...
There is no ambiguity there. The feds are not entitled to conduct a fishing expedition, whether it was authorized by Bush or by Obama. This is unconstitutional and must stop.
Are any conservatives or tea party groups on those calls being monitored?
Think Issa should look at that.
That’s what dems are like. Is there ONE democrat with any self respect? Or they ALL corrupt?
Foreign Phone calls were monitored when Clinton was President, long before Bush got blamed for it.
How do I know? Let’s just say a Relative of mine found out about it accidentally while working for the Federal Government.
Gee, I hope the Obama Regime isn’t reading my FR Posts. LOL
Oh, so that makes it OK, then?
Nazi Concentration Camp Leader Defends Holocaust, And Says It's Been Going On For 4 Years
....see, the length of the duration of an outrage is what makes it all better.
I think 7 years ago they were more focused on real terrorists not citizens that talk about the constitution. I’m not saying it’s right but the current admin. is more worried about patriots than islamic jihadists.
In fact, there’s every reason now to think that overwhelming evidence of Muslim terrorist planning is purposely ignored while mere political threats are prosecuted.
Did is protect those killed and injured in the Boston marathon bombing? Even after the Russians told the FBI to watch the jihadi terrorists?
Really! That's why I encrypt my posts. I don't want this rogue government to know that I think they're all a bunch of un-American, anti-American fascist, communist, slobs who ought to be frog-marched off to a military tribunal and tried for treason.
Here’s your Obama phone.
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